Past cover modulates the intense and spatially structured natural regeneration of woody vegetation in a pastureland

Bueno, Rafael; García, Daniel García; Galetti, Mauro; Mantia, Tommaso La

doi:10.1007/s11258-020-01006-3

Cited by 9 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 63 publications

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“…A study in the Netherlands, however, found that herbivores limited woody colonisation to only 8% of the old field area after 29 years [27]. Similar limitations were also found on wood pasture in Spain [50], but not in Sicily [51].…”

Section: Plos Onementioning

confidence: 77%

Slow development of woodland vegetation and bird communities during 33 years of passive rewilding in open farmland

et al. 2022

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Passive rewilding is a potential tool for expanding woodland cover and restoring biodiversity by abandoning land management and allowing natural vegetation succession to occur. Land can be abandoned to passive rewilding deliberately or due to socio-economic change. Despite abandonment being a major driver of land use change, few have studied the long-term outcomes for vegetation and biodiversity in Western Europe. Studies are also biased towards sites that are close to seed sources and favourable to woodland colonisation. In this case-study, we reconstruct a time series of passive rewilding over 33 years on 25 ha of former farmland that had been subject to soil tipping, far from woodland seed sources. Natural colonisation by shrubs and trees was surveyed at three points during the time series, using field mapping and lidar. Breeding birds were surveyed at three time points, and compared with surveys from nearby farmland. Results showed that natural colonisation of woody vegetation was slow, with open grassland dominating the old fields for two decades, and small wetlands developing spontaneously. After 33 years, thorny shrub thickets covered 53% of the site and former hedgerows became subsumed or degraded, but trees remained scarce. However, the resulting habitat mosaic of shrubland, grassland and wetland supported a locally distinctive bird community. Farmland bird species declined as passive rewilding progressed, but this was countered by relatively more wetland birds and an increase in woodland birds, particularly songbirds, compared to nearby farmland. Alongside biodiversity benefits, shrubland establishment by passive rewilding could potentially provide ecosystem services via abundant blossom resources for pollinators, and recreation and berry-gathering opportunities for people. Although closed-canopy woodland remained a distant prospect even after 33 years, the habitat mosaic arising from passive rewilding could be considered a valuable outcome, which could contribute to nature recovery and provision of ecosystem services.

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Section: Plos Onementioning

confidence: 77%

Slow development of woodland vegetation and bird communities during 33 years of passive rewilding in open farmland

et al. 2022

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“…The research was carried out at the Ficuzza Nature Reserve in northwestern Sicily [23]. Ficuzza is a large protected area, covering more than 7000 hectares, and hosting the last large forest remnants in western Sicily, mostly composed of evergreen and deciduous oaks such as Quercus ilex L. and Quercus pubescens Willd s.l.…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…[29,30]. Field surveys were carried out at the Alpe Cucco site, characterized by extensive wooded pasturelands mixed with heterogeneous mantle vegetation dominated by shrub and tree species of the Rosaceae family, such as Pyrus spinosa, Crataegus monogyna Jacq., Rubus ulmifolius Schott, Rosa canina Land 2023, 12, 2135 3 of 13 L., Prunus spinosa L. [23]. The herbaceous layer is characterized by mesophilous species, such as Cynosurus cristatus L. and Lolium perenne L., together with several other grasses and legumes of the genera Trifolium, Medicago and Phalaris [31].…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, woody encroachment greatly reduces pasturelands carrying capacity and herbaceous plant diversity, representing a threat to historical pastureland economic activity, also pushing grazing over forest areas and increasing fire risk and reducing microbial activity [21,22]. In this sense, wooded pasturelands might be an alternative to increase carbon accumulation and overall biodiversity in pasturelands [17,23]. The combination of pasturelands and trees generates important landscapes in the Mediterranean (e.g., Dehesas in Spain and Montado in Portugal), with trees enhancing not only the food supply for the animals, but also increasing biodiversity and carbon stocks [10,24].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Role of Almond-Leaved Pear Pyrus spinosa Forssk. in Mediterranean Pasturelands Carbon Storage and Woodlands Restoration

Bueno,

Badalamenti,

Gristina

et al. 2023

Land

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A large portion of the Mediterranean basin suffers from a lack of organic carbon in the soil and low woody cover percentages, resulting in a very high risk of desertification. In such conditions, knowing the effects on below and above ground carbon sequestration of pioneer woody species is of great importance, although barely assessed at the individual level. In this study, we first investigated whether almond-leaved pear (Pyrus spinosa) individuals influence soil organic carbon (SOC) concentration and stock in comparison with surrounding pasturelands inside a natural reserve in Sicily, Italy. Second, we evaluated inter individual variability on such storage, testing the effects of plant height, basal diameter, canopy cover and tree structure (single or multiple stems). Soils under pear presented, on average, a significantly higher SOC than pasturelands (3.86% and 3.16%, respectively) as well as a lower bulk density (1.09 and 1.28 g cm−3, respectively). Due to a lower soil compaction, SOC stocks (130.3 and 113.9 Mg ha−1, respectively) did not differ significantly. Below and aboveground biomass carbon accounted for a small fraction of carbon stock, while neither pear structure, age nor tree structure significantly influenced SOC concentration and SOC stock. Despite the need of further investigations, our results indicate that pear may represent an excellent tree species to improve carbon storage, both while triggering the restoration of Mediterranean woodlands or increasing biodiversity in pasturelands and agroforestry systems, that, indeed, can hold high SOC if well managed.

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“…If the disturbance regime is further intensified, perennial grasslands dominated by Ampelodesmos mauritanicus are the most likely fate of Q. suber stands, as has largely occurred in other areas of the western Mediterranean basin (Vilà et al 2001). Contrarily, open and scattered cork oak stands could evolve towards more complex woodlands if grazing pressure and fire frequency decrease (Bueno et al 2020). However, a similar scenario, consistent with the hypothesis of many authors who attribute the meaning of steady disclimax to cork oak stands, maintained by moderate disturbance regimes, especially wildfires (Barberis & Mariotti 1979), should be supported by further qualitative and quantitative investigations.…”

Section: Iforest -Biogeosciences and Forestrymentioning

confidence: 99%

The cork oak in the Mountains of Palermo (Italy): ecological insights from the south-eastern edge of its distribution range

Badalamenti¹,

Scalenghe²,

Mantia³

et al. 2020

iForest

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The uneven presence of the cork oak (Quercus suber L.) within its distribution range is not only determined by its climatic requirements but also by specific edaphic needs. Although most of the natural populations thrive in acidic soils deriving from metamorphic or volcanic rock outcrops, some cork oak populations are found growing in soils deriving from calcareous bedrock, which are considered less suitable. We carried out a multidisciplinary investigation at the south eastern edge of the Q. suber distribution range (Mountains of Palermo, NW Sicily), including soil, floristic, and vegetation surveys, aimed at: (i) assessing the native or introduced origin of some peculiar cork oak populations; (ii) describing the associated plant communities and soils; (iii) identifying the ecological factors which could explain the local adaptation to soils deriving from calcareous bedrock; (iv) discussing the ecological role played by this species in the study area and within its distribution range. The collected information suggest that the detected cork oak stands are native to these areas. We hypothesized that the co-occurrence of high fire frequency, high soil calcium content and erosion, which caused the intermixing of different parent materials, might favor its competitive interactions with other Mediterranean tree species, thus accounting for the local presence of Q. suber. The study of cork oak populations thriving in peculiar substrates at the driest end of the range could be of great importance for the future conservation of this species, which is expected to face growing threats in the coming decades.

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Past cover modulates the intense and spatially structured natural regeneration of woody vegetation in a pastureland

Cited by 9 publications

References 63 publications

Slow development of woodland vegetation and bird communities during 33 years of passive rewilding in open farmland

Slow development of woodland vegetation and bird communities during 33 years of passive rewilding in open farmland

The Role of Almond-Leaved Pear Pyrus spinosa Forssk. in Mediterranean Pasturelands Carbon Storage and Woodlands Restoration

The cork oak in the Mountains of Palermo (Italy): ecological insights from the south-eastern edge of its distribution range

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